Television

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Trump Lawyers Advise No Interview With Mueller

Lawyers for President Trump have advised him against sitting
down for a wide-ranging interview with special counsel Robert Mueller, raising
the prospect of a long court battle over whether the president must answer
questions under oath, the New York Times reports. His attorneys are
concerned that the president, who has a history of making false statements and
contradicting himself, could be charged with lying to investigators. Their
stance puts them at odds with Trump, who has said he is eager to speak with
Mueller as part of the investigation into possible ties between his associates
and Russia’s election interference, and whether he obstructed
justice. Trump’s decision about whether to speak to prosecutors will shape
one of the most consequential moments of the investigation. Refusing to sit for
an interview opens the possibility that Mueller will subpoena the president to
testify before a grand jury, setting up a court fight that would drastically
escalate the investigation and could be decided by the Supreme Court.

Rejecting an interview with Mueller would prompt accusations
that the president is hiding something, and a court fight could prolong the
special counsel inquiry, casting a shadow over Republicans as November’s
midterm elections approach or beyond into the president’s re-election campaign.
John Dowd, a defense lawyer representing Trump, wants to rebuff an interview
request, as do deputy Jay Sekulow, and many West Wing advisers. The lawyers and
aides believe the special counsel might be unwilling to subpoena the president
and set off a showdown that Mueller could lose in court.

About Matt

An analysis of crime and punishment from the perspective of a former prosecutor and current criminal justice practitioner.
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